I know this is shorter than the last two chapters, but I think it's actually the average size the chapters are going to be.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.


Ukitake and Kyoraku were in a panic as they searched the chaotic crowd for their friend. There was no flash of obnoxiously white hair or glimpse of teal orbs anywhere, and they feared that he had been left in the burning Moroccan-themed restaurant.

"He's about yay big," Kyoraku hurriedly described to a nearby police officer. He put his hand level with his waist – a ridiculously low height.

"So, this is a small child?" the officer questioned, looking extremely worried as he jotted down the description in his notepad.

"Oh, go to Hell, Kyoraku," a frosty voice cut through their exchange. All three men turned to see Toushiro striding towards them, one hand coolly tucked into the pocket of his pants and a fierce glare directed at his friend. Shunsui grinned heartily.

"So, you made it out, you bastard!" he cheerfully called out, thumping Toushiro's back. "Had us worried for nothing."

"We're glad you're safe," Ukitake said with relief, flashing him an encouraging smile. Hitsugaya politely nodded his way.

"Well, then, shall we finally head out?" he asked hurriedly, licking his lips as he headed in the direction of where they had parked their car in the lot. He really wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.

"Not so fast," Kyoraku intercepted, pulling him back. "I want to see what ends up of this place."

"You know," Ukitake said thoughtfully, placing a hand on his chin and looking up at the restaurant, "it's rather strange that there's no smoke." Toushiro felt his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah, 'cause it was a stupid and dangerous prank," someone growled menacingly. A fireman dressed in his full gear and with a scowl on his face stalked over to them after hearing what he had said. "Someone pulled the alarm, but there was no damn fire. Idiotic teenage pranksters," he muttered under his breath, and then eyed the three of them warily. "Any of you happen to see who did it?" Hitsugaya shook his head quickly; a little too quickly, in his opinion, but nobody seemed to notice.

"I'm sorry, sir," Ukitake apologized. "We were rather busy with our evening."

The fireman growled again, but nodded and stomped off, obviously in a bad mood from the false alarm.

"I wonder who would do that?" Kyoraku speculated. Then, he shrugged casually. "Well, I'm sure the police'll figure it out. I'll just tune into the news tomorrow. Anyway, Toushiro here looks like he's about to have a conniption." He chuckled as he patted his friend's arm. "Let's go."

He and Ukitake headed for the car, chatting easily. Hitsugaya sighed in relief and followed after them gladly, his pocket heavy with the burden of a purple, satin face mask.

.. ღ ..

When he finally returned home, Hitsugaya wanted nothing more than a refreshing shower before going to bed. The events of the night had been unexpected and exhausting, to say the least. He was having trouble keeping the memories away when he could still feel her soft lips on his...

Discarding his jacket carelessly on his bed, he headed for the bathroom, unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt as he did so. Once shirtless, he approached his sink, turning on each faucet a fair amount. He cupped his hand under the running water to let it pool, and then threw it onto his face, letting the coolness of it relax him as it dripped down his neck. After thoroughly scrubbing his lips, he turned it off.

Next to go were his pants, and soon he was standing under the rushing water of a shower, his eyes closed and his head tilted back. That felt much better. When he stepped out, he felt renewed. He slipped on an old pair of sweatpants, and they hung low on his hips, though he made no move to tighten them. Instead, he grabbed a towel and swung it around his neck to catch any drops of water from his hair. Grabbing an end, he carelessly ran it through his hair as he exited into his bedroom with his previously worn clothes, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

Opening the doors to his closet, he procured a clothes hanger and got to work on hanging up his suit. As was his routine, he searched through the pockets of his pants first. His hand hit something soft and smooth, and he yanked it out. A purple, satin cloth.

She stuck a finger under her mask and tugged it down before she stuck two fingers under his chin, pushed his face up forcefully, and pressed her lips hotly to his.

He groaned as the memory hit again, and wisely set aside the cloth on his bedside table for now, returning to finishing his task. But, suddenly -

"Long time, no see, short stuff."

"Wha –" He jumped and swirled towards the sudden noise. His eyes widened. "You!"

It was her, the mysterious dancer who had kissed him, the Farukon no Kage. Still dressed in her skimpy dancing gear, she was the picture of ease; he had trouble keeping his eyes off her exposed navel – curse her for being so attractive. She had her elbows placed on the windowsill and was using them to lean back against the wall. One of her legs was crossed in front of the other. Her playful smirk widened at his surprise.

"How sweet of you to remember little ol' me," she crooned sarcastically.

"How did you get in here?" he hissed.

"That large tree out there?" she said, jabbing a thumb behind her to the swaying branches. "Might wanna get rid of it. Any thief could get in with that sucker leading straight to your open window."

"You mean like you?" he growled. She chuckled, not answering.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, setting a full-scale glare on her.

"Oh, just a friendly visit," she replied airily, and then looked up at him through her lashes. "Do you not want me here?"

"How did you find this place?" he demanded, ignoring her teasing.

"I have my ways," was her vague answer. She raised an eyebrow as she took in his defensive posture; hands fisted, teeth gritted, eyes hardened. Understanding dawned on her face. "Ah. So, you know."

"That you're a despicable thief?" he spat out. "Yes, I know."

She waved a blithe hand at him. "'Thief' sounds so awful," she said. "I prefer to call myself...a corrector."

He scoffed at her. "Of what, exactly?" he wanted to know.

"Oh, crimes, blackmailing, con artists," she listed. "The world's full of dishonest, selfish people. It needs people like me to -"

"Steal from the innocent?" he suggested harshly. Her eyes flashed.

"Not everyone who looks like a helpless little lamb is innocent, Toushiro," she growled. "There might very well be a sly fox under that mask. You should remember that."

"You mean like you," he attacked her. Rather than get angry again, her mouth twisted into a mischievous smirk.

"I see someone's still a bit bitter about our naughty little exchange tonight." She tapped her lips lightly with her index finger. Heat flew to his cheeks immediately.

"You mean your assault," he tried unsuccessfully to fight back. She chuckled.

"Is it really an assault if both parties enjoy it?"

"I didn't kiss back," he insisted.

"Do you have any proof of that?" she challenged him, clearly enjoying herself.

"I have my word," he answered gravely. She shrugged, faking an expression of thought.

"Well, I don't know you that well," she pointed out. "So, how am I supposed to know if your word's any good?"

"I'm not a liar," he snarled.

She pushed back on her arms and used her elbows to swing forward from her lean, uncrossing her legs as she did so. Once her hands were free, she held them up in front of her chest in defense.

"I'm not saying you are," she replied. Her eyes narrowed, studying him. "You look like a pretty smart man, Toushiro; someone of the sciences, maybe? And a scientist always performs his or her experiments multiple times. You know, to get the best results, the most accurate conclusion."

"What are you getting at?" he asked with suspicion.

"I'm saying that maybe we should let science take over for a moment."

He couldn't fathom how she did it. One moment, she was across the room, standing by the windowsill, and the next, she had her arms wrapped around his neck loosely, her face only inches away from his.

"You're…pretty fast," was all he could think to say, and he cursed himself for sounding breathless.

"And you're not pushing me away," she pointed out. Her face got a little closer.

"Is this why you came here?" he asked, his gaze transfixed on her lips.

"It was definitely the strongest motivator," she admitted. A corner of her lips twitched up just slightly, and he stared at it in fascination. Little by little, she moved one of her hands from his neck down to the waistband of his sweatpants. She slipped a finger underneath the fabric, and slowly, seductively, traced his skin. He shivered pleasantly.

"You're insane," he whispered. "I just met you today, and you stole a necklace from someone."

"I just met you today, too," she replied, grinning, "and you've yet to do anything on par with me."

And after all her teasing, he was the one who closed the gap between their mouths. He was just suddenly kissing her, slipping his arms around her bare midriff, and she was kissing back, running her hands up and down his back. She grabbed his towel and yanked it off, tossing it aside without a second thought, and then wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. They broke apart only when necessary.

"I think scientists would agree that the third time's the charm," he gasped out. She didn't answer, only reattached their lips. Well, they "experimented" a third time, then a fourth, and then a fifth. Soon, they lost count after their clothes hit the floor and her bare back hit his bed sheets.

When he woke up the next morning, she was gone, and he realized she had called him 'Toushiro,' though he had never once told her his name.

.. ღ ..

When he dragged himself into work later that morning, the police station was hectic.

"- another robbery last night."

"Farukon no Kage...?"

"The chief says there're no leads!"

Ignoring all the commotion, he headed straight for his office, closing the door behind him. All the noise was instantly blocked out, and, sighing with relief, he collapsed into his chair behind his desk. After a moment of just resting, he finally shifted, reaching his hand into the pocket of his suit and pulling out its only content – the face mask. It had been haunting him since last night.

He just stared at the cloth for a moment. Looking at it brought back the memories of the previous night, when he had crossed the line with one of the most wanted criminals in the police department's database. What was worse – and he was sure of it now – he was truly attracted to her. Placing his head in his hands, he groaned.

He couldn't deny that he had enjoyed himself. He had, immensely. But that had been hours ago, when he had been lost in the wild passion and excitement of the day's events. The gravity of the situation was only just starting to hit.

He had spent the night with a thief. Worse yet, he knew not her age, nor her name, nor her history. What had he been thinking? All those years of discipline and emotional detachment, and he had been putty in her hands!

And a more serious problem: How exactly had she come across both his name and address only moments after a brief encounter? He was always very particular about his privacy, being careful not to divulge the whereabouts of his home to just anyone. Whoever this Farukon no Kage was, she had the skills and the technology to go far.

And the worst of them all: This face mask of hers, which was pressed against his face, smelled just too damn good!

Scowling, he quickly pocketed it once again. It wasn't helping to brood like this. He was a successful detective, for Pete's sake. He had solved mysteries more gruesome than her before. He would figure her out.

A knock on the door interrupted his fiery decision, and when the door opened, a police officer peeked in.

"Hitsugaya-san? Oh, good. You're in. The chief would like to speak with you."

A deep feeling of dread formed in his stomach as he followed the man to the chief's office with an inkling of what this talk would be about. He knocked respectfully once he arrived and entered once he heard a call of admittance.

"Chief Soi-Fon." He bowed in esteem upon entering, and then he took a seat across the desk.

"Hitsugaya," she said, propping up her arms on the desk and locking her fingers together. Her eyes were blazing angrily. "We're in a pinch, so I'm gonna get right to it. I'm sure you've heard of the Farukon no Kage." He jolted slightly as his thoughts were confirmed. "We've tried our best to keep it down about this and catch Kage with our own police force, but it looks like it's not gonna be possible." She sighed deeply in aggravation. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I've got no choice but to turn to you."

She looked at him with conviction. "I'm giving this case to you. Catch this menace, figure out who they are, bring them to justice. I want them gone. They're causing disturbances, making the police look bad, and frankly, it's pissing me off that they're so good at it." She curled her hand into a fist. "Even with those tips, we're never fast enough to match up. So, I'm changing from the overly offensive route. Figure out who they are, or where they live. It's better than this goose chase Kage keeps leading us into."

She looked at him seriously. "Will you take this case?"

He sighed, left with no choice, lest he raise suspision. "Yes."

...

Back in his office, he returned to groaning into his hands. The start of a day, and he had already agreed to such a confusing case. This would be difficult, especially with his own feelings mixed in. Because he already knew what Kage looked like, had seen her in action, had gone over the top with her. But he still knew nothing about her, and her appearance alone wouldn't be enough to find her in a city so large. And after just that one night, he was unsure about whether he could capture such a witty and talented person.

The distraction of his phone was welcome. Kyoraku was not.

"Did you see? Did you see!" he hollered in excitement. Nanao's scolding in the background was ignored. "They're saying it was Farukon no Kage who pulled the fire alarm. I can't believe this! We were there, Hitsugaya, in the same room with a thief. Oh, but you can probably say that fifty times, huh? But, it was still cool. I wonder who it was? Do you...do you think it was the waitress?"

"Kyoraku," he finally cut off his babbling and conspiracy theories. "I don't have time for this. I have work to do."

"A new case?" he asked with sudden interest.

"Yes." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "The Kage case."

"You're kidding! That's amazing. You're gonna catch him...or her?"

"That's the plan," he said with gritted teeth, regretting his desicion to tell him. His ear was ringing. "Look, I don't have time. The chief wants to hold a press conference in a few minutes about this. We're just waiting for the reporters now, so I have to go."

"Just a minute," Kyoraku spoke up. "I had another reason to call. Takeda contacted me."

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows in interest. Takeda had been a police officer in this branch a few years back. He and Hitsugaya had gotten along well, and he'd made friends with Kyoraku and Ukitake, too. After getting promoted to the chief of police in another district, he had moved out east and made it big, getting wealthy from his job. They hardly saw each other now because of the distance, but he still considered Takeda a friend.

"He's having a party soon, and he wanted to know if you got your invite?"

"I didn't think to check my mail this morning," he admitted. He had found his mind a little too preoccupied with thoughts of a certain raven-haired vixen.

"Well, he says he wants you there, so make sure you check, all right?

"Of course. Are you going?"

"No," Kyoraku whimpered, and he could just guess that he was pouting. "Nanao caught me drinking in the office again and gave me double the amount of work, so I can't. Ukitake has a doctor's appointment, so he can't make it either. Say hi to Takeda for us, all right?"

"All right," he promised.

As they hung up, an officer suddenly knocked on his door again, sticking his face in a few moments later.

"The press is here," he informed him, and Hitsugaya nodded.

"Coming." When the door was shut, he pulled out the face mask again. Giving it one last glare to steel himself, he stuffed it away and strode out to meet the media, wondering if Kage would be watching him.

.. ღ ..

Karin walked into the dining room humming, a beam plastered on her face. The residents of her home watched her in bemusement, unsure of this sudden mood swing from the usual. Matsumoto groaned pathetically, looking up at her with a nastily green face.

"Abuse the alcohol last night?" Karin asked with a chuckle. She nodded before resting her head back onto the table. Others beside her were also looking pretty drained, and Karin could only assume they were the poor chumps she had convinced to join her last night. "How about some tea?" she suggested. A unanimous head nod was her answer.

She floated over to the stove, reaching for the kettle in the cupboard above. Everyone watched her in awe; she always hated working in the kitchen, no matter what the job.

"What exactly did you do last night that's got you in such a good mood?" Ikkaku asked in shock. Matsumoto mustered the strength to snicker loudly, and heads swirled in her direction.

"Asking a woman that question probably isn't going to get you an answer you want to hear," she said. Renji made a horrible face.

"You're right," he grumbled. "I did not need to know that." Ikkaku still looked thoroughly confused.

"Well, what's new with everyone else?" Karin asked quickly, afraid that he would ask her to explain. She was not in the mood to divulge to her almost family that she had spent the most fabulous night with a hunk of a man, who had looked so adorable snoring when she had left out the window that morning, as the strand of his hair that hung over his eyes had been flying up and down with his breathing. She hadn't really wanted to leave, but staying would have been too dangerous. At least she had last night as a memory.

The television caught their attention instead. A reporter stood in front of the police station, talking animatedly to the camera. But what caught Karin's attention were the people behind her. A small, black-haired woman with a serious face stood at a podium, answering the questions of a crowd of journalists; it was the chief of police she knew only too well. But her gaze was transfixed on the stoic, white-haired man beside her. He looked eerily familiar...

"Turn it up," she ordered, and Renji complied, ignoring the wailings of the hung over ones.

"...after the robbery that took place in a small Morrocan-themed retaurant in the southern area of the city," the reporter was saying. "The police disclosed that they had indeed been aware of the robbery, having received the signature notice beforehand, but kept quiet in an attempt to capture the suspect with ease."

"Are they talking about you?" Rangiku asked with interest, and she nodded, still staring at Toushiro as he anwered a question this time.

"After many failed attempts in the case, chief of police Soi-Fon enlisted the help of private detective Hitsugaya Toushiro, whose success rate of one hundred percent makes him a prime candidate for the one who may finally capture the ever elusive Farukon no Kage."

The camera then zoomed into the press conference.

"Hitsugaya has been given every liberty possible to help him with the task," the black-haired woman was saying. "We hope that by giving him this case, we can depend on his investigative abilities and finally determine the identity or whereabouts of Kage, inevitably leading up to his or her capture." A cheer rang out, along with camera flashes.

"A word from Hitsugaya-san?" a voice from the crowd shouted out. He sighed as he leaned towards the microphone.

"To the best of my abilities, I promise that capturing Kage will be my number one priority," he said dully. "The police force only turns to me in the most serious cases, and I always handle them as professionally as possible. This one, I can be sure, will not be any different."

Renji muted the television, turning towards Karin with a grin.

"That guy said he's gonna capture you," he said with a snicker. "Scared?"

"Of course not," she said flippantly, turning to the stove. 'That guy's a detective? Oh, great. I really know how to pick 'em, huh?' She suddenly grinned. 'Well, at least things'll be helluva lot more interesting from now on!'

"Well, we'll unfortunately be giving him a lot more chances," Kira said gravely.

"What do you mean?"

"New job," Hisagi grunted. Her eyebrows quirked up in interest, and she turned from the boiling water to face him.

"Already?" she asked in wonder. "I just had one yesterday."

"Well, I guess robberies are in season right now," he joked, and everyone chuckled. With their line of work, jokes about thefts were common and hilarious, no matter how serious the issue. "But, seriously, though. It's gonna be tough, what with that detective out to get you now."

"Oh, I think I can take him," she replied with a smirk.

Hisagi eyed her strangely before shrugging. "Well, if you say so."

Apparently, an antique collector in the area had come into possession of an ancient, priceless medallion, and she'd wasted no time in flaunting it. The real owners, who'd kept the medallion private in hopes of keeping it safe but had let it slip at a party, hadn't wasted a moment in coming to Kira with their dilemma, who'd assured them that the crime would be corrected.

"It's another one of those cases where it was passed down through the family," Kira explained. "That's why they have no proof it originally belonged to them, so they can't take it back so easily."

"That's where I come in," Karin said, beaming. "This'll be a piece of cake."

"Careful, though," Renji piped up. "You've got a new opponent."

He jerked his head towards the muted television, and they all watched as it zoomed into Hitsugaya's stoic face. Karin smirked as she gazed at it, pausing the screen after snatching the remote.

He would be no challenge. After spending a night with him, she'd come to learn that though he looked so serious and straight-laced, he could make just the most wonderful expressions. He had emotions, and she was sure that meant he wasn't unbeatable. He'd crumbled so easily under her touch, after all. He had weaknesses, and she wasn't above using them to her advantage if it was for justice. So, she shrugged airily towards her apprehensive family.

"Like I said," she mumbled, peering straight into Hitsugaya's icy eyes, frozen on the screen, "I can take him."


Yay for flirting with science! I totally had to resist typing, "I'm saying that maybe we should let science take over for a moment, because you and I have got some chemistry." :D

Some of you noticed that I've made Karin different and a little more of a playful character. But this is her grown up, after living through a completely different childhood than in the manga/anime, so she changed along with that. Plus, she had Matsumoto's and the guys' influence to grow up with. At least it makes the interactions a little more fun :)